I want to know the pros and cons to your ducks

[SMonroe1990]

I am thinking about getting a couple ducks next year when I build a bigger coop for my chickens. I have heard a lot about different breeds and no matter what I read I still can't decide which ones to go with if I do decide to get them. So pretty much what I am hoping for is for all you duck owners to hopefully chime in. Tell me the breed you have and what the pros and cons that you can think of that breed are. Also if you could post pictures that would be awesome to. Any help would be awesome.

 

[Going Quackers]

I have 4 breeds of ducks here.... 3 are mallard derived one is not so actually more goose than duck.

What do you want from ducks? that will play a role in what breed suits you? do you want to breed? do you need quiet?

Biggest thing is noise, if that is an issue drakes are always the most quiet of any breed, as for females? some are loud and some are loudER i keep calls for instance and while the smallest duck you can get the loudest! the noise those little things can belt out is unreal. That said they are massively personable, easy to tame and so darn cute. The laying is so-so if eggs are a desire not the breed for you and eating wise? not really they are very small, and generally kept for exhibition, breeding and pets.

I have a bakers dozen of them right now, i'll show you a sweet shot of the one mama with her clutch and yes the one is in the throws of hatching lol

 

[SMonroe1990]

That is so cute. I was looking for a quietish breed. They don't have to be 100% quiet. I would like eggs but it doesn't have to be a breed that is an outstanding egg layer. I would not be using them for breeding and probably not eating either. I would also prefer a breed that isn't really skittish. I would breed ducks, but I don't know if I would be able to sell the ducklings where I am. If there is a breed that is about as loud as chickens can be that one will work for me since I also have 11 chickens.

 

[Going Quackers]

I have 4 breeds of ducks here.... 3 are mallard derived one is not so actually more goose than duck.

What do you want from ducks? that will play a role in what breed suits you? do you want to breed? do you need quiet?

Biggest thing is noise, if that is an issue drakes are always the most quiet of any breed, as for females? some are loud and some are loudER i keep calls for instance and while the smallest duck you can get the loudest! the noise those little things can belt out is unreal. That said they are massively personable, easy to tame and so darn cute. The laying is so-so if eggs are a desire not the breed for you and eating wise? not really they are very small, and generally kept for exhibition, breeding and pets. They do fly and like the wind think mini mallard, both sexes.

I have a bakers dozen of them right now, i'll show you a sweet shot of the one mama with her clutch and yes the one is in the throws of hatching lol



Sorry hit send to soon!

Pekin these are dual purpose, so meat and eggs.. good bird BIG and loud(the females) they are personable mine love the hose and toddle about like little comical white objects. They are big though so housing and area requirements are larger. Good layers so far, they came in at 4.5 and 5mths respectively. These also do NOT fly.

I have a half dozen of these.. 1 drake, 5 ducks



Buff ducks, i only have 2 and they are both females mine are spazzy, they are nice ducks but i find mine to be scattered brained, they are dual purpose mind lay well, forage good but are quite loud they are always screaming about something. These birds do NOT fly.



and finally my Muscovy they are my top pic, why? first dual purpose and are documented for their fly catching ability, they are EXCELLENT foragers i mean TOPS they will travel massive distance and consume all sorts of things from frogs, mice to bugs and grass.

They are dubbed the quiet duck females usually keep to trills, coos and soft sounds, the drakes only hiss so are extremely quiet. They however fly, the males usually not to long after maturity due to their large size but female remain so. Their claws are also a concern they are formidable. They use those to climb, in the wild they often use tree hollows.

Negatives? well they are broody machines? that is a negative? well.. they are like rabbits and must be kept under control, they are well known for being awesome broodies and mamas raising clutches of good sizes and being a real bulldog at mothering.

I raise mine in a large flock i dont' know how many i have right now.. i have had several clutches this year.. they were my first breed and birds overall and i continue to keep them as the primary duck. The downs would be the fleshing can be troublesome in the cold, long winters and they are not as waterproofed as mallard derived birds so soak more easily.

They are well renowned for their meat quality considered some of the best. Some have encountered aggressive ones i don't have that heae that said it is possible, they are definitely more goose like in personality and have no problem holding their own.

 

[SMonroe1990]

Thank you for all the info Going Quackers. The breeds you have given information on is really helpful. Good news is I still have time to decide which breed I want to go with. I would not be getting these babies until next year. I absolutely loved the pictures too. The picture of the buff duck is really wonderful. Ducklings are so cute. So aren't full grown ducks. Now do you ever eat any of the eggs your ducks lay? If you do do you like the taste of them?

 

[jtn42248]

I am thinking about getting a couple ducks next year when I build a bigger coop for my chickens. I have heard a lot about different breeds and no matter what I read I still can't decide which ones to go with if I do decide to get them. So pretty much what I am hoping for is for all you duck owners to hopefully chime in. Tell me the breed you have and what the pros and cons that you can think of that breed are. Also if you could post pictures that would be awesome to. Any help would be awesome.

I am anything but a duck expert but I have some so here goes...

Khaki Campbell - Drake and two ducks (6 months old). Drake is quiet and the females are actually not really loud. They lay pretty much a egg a day. They are not broody so don't expect lots of offspring unless you incubate or have someone that is broody to hatch them...a broody hen will do. Drake is beautiful, ducks are pretty but not colorful.

Blue Swedish - Drake and one duck (six months old)...had two ducks but one died from the heat here in West Texas. Drake is sort of aggressive toward my geese. Duck lays and egg then takes two days off until the next egg. They are supposed to be broody but mine has shown no interest so far.

Cayuga - 3 drakes 14 ducks. These I am planning on breeding. They are supposed to be broody and make great mothers. They are only 12 weeks old but they are already beginning to get the green/blue/purple sheen they are famous for. The females are loud when they quack but they don't quack that often. It sounds like they are laughing but at the volume of the Aflac duck. They lay (when they start) black to dark olive eggs and are supposed to lay about 100-150 eggs yearly. They are a threaten breed so I am trying to establish breeding pairs/stock.

I had all three groups together but as the Cayuga males began to mature the Khaki drake decided he needed to kill them to lessen competition. So, they are now two separate flocks.

Ducks are more work than chickens. They are messy, especially when in the brooder as ducklings. They are the pigs of the bird world. That said, they are a joy to have and watch, fun and funny. They take more space than chickens because they are foragers.

What ever you decide, best of luck.

 

[jtn42248]

Oh, and something else that I forgot to mention...duck sex makes chicken sex look like fun. Drakes are NOT romantic when it comes to sex. They are the rapist of the bird world. They are one of only 3% of birds that actually have a penis. Females can be seriously hurt during breeding. So, keep that in mind as you make your decision. If you want pretty ducks get drakes and no females. If you want eggs only get females and no drakes.

 

[crazypoultrychx]

Oh, and something else that I forgot to mention...duck sex makes chicken sex look like fun. Drakes are NOT romantic when it comes to sex. They are the rapist of the bird world. They are one of only 3% of birds that actually have a penis. Females can be seriously hurt during breeding. So, keep that in mind as you make your decision. If you want pretty ducks get drakes and no females. If you want eggs only get females and no drakes.

yes......duck sex is DEFINITELY like rape.....I have been worried my crested Peking drake was going to drown my hen!!!.....and yes.....baby ducks are VERY VERY MESSY......I started with 14 Peking for my b-day last year....we eat the eggs and now I am down to a pair since the rest of mine went to freezer camp....also I have a large pond for them to swim in and that is deff a must....if you raise them from babies it is so rewarding and they are so very tame....I love my ducks but you have to make sure you have a place to put them up at night if you want to keep them.....many predators love duck meat too!

 

[SMonroe1990]

I was just really interested in the eggs so I would probably just get a couple of females. I would have a house for them and I realize they are messier than chickens. I would not be getting anymore than 2 or 3 ducks. Thank you guys for the info. jtn42248 thank you for giving me a little outline about the breeds you have. I will have to keep the khaki campbell and cayuga in mind when I start looking into it further next year. Right now I am still in the it would be nice to have them and I'm trying to get as much info as I can right now so I can make an informed decision later on before I actually purchase the birds just to give them away. The mess and cleaning isn't going to be a problem for me. It doesn't bother me that some animals are a bit more work than others.

 

[Amykins]

Oh, and something else that I forgot to mention...duck sex makes chicken sex look like fun. Drakes are NOT romantic when it comes to sex. They are the rapist of the bird world. They are one of only 3% of birds that actually have a penis. Females can be seriously hurt during breeding. So, keep that in mind as you make your decision. If you want pretty ducks get drakes and no females. If you want eggs only get females and no drakes.

Eh...an all-drake flock can turn nasty very quickly. I wouldn't recommend this for first-time duck owners. If eggs are what you're looking for Monroe, have you considered Pekins? They're egg-laying champs! Rouens are a good choice too, they're like fat mallards. I think Cayugas are another safe bet, also. They're not quite as good at egg-laying as Pekins, but they're up there! Cayugas are a personal favorite of mine. They're just so unique looking and personable. <3